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Cbc Univevsitv of Cbica^o 
ICihrarlcs 




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GIFT OF 






iu. LAjctix YY-*^-^^ 




THE UNIVERSITY OF CHIOAGQ- ' 



A HISTORY OF PUBLIC HIOH f^nHOOLP IN IOWA 
A DISSERTATION 
Subiaitted to the Faculty 
of The Graduate Sohool of Arts and Liteniture 
In Candidacy for the Degree of 
Master of Arts 
Department of Education 



BY 

AURELIE EDITH ZICHY 
M 



1^1^ 



.^ 



It 



If. 




I 



I. SECONDARY EDUCATION BEFOHE THE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 
1 . Tlie Academy . 



3. 



The Intermediate f5ohool. 



II. LEGAL PROVISIONS. 

1. Early Laws Forming Baaia For The High School. 

2. Period Of No Legislation. 

3. Lane Affecting The Course Of Ptudy. 

4. La'fs Belonging To No Special Group. 

5. Siunrnary. 

III. PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT. 

1. Establiahiiient And Early Growth. 
2* Accrediting And Inspection. 

3. Normal Training High School, 

4. Consolidated And County High Schools. 

5. Approved High Schools , 

6. Public CritioisK. 

7. The Junior High School, 

8. SuKuiary,. 

IV. CURHICULm.^ AND TKACHKRS. 

1, Characteristics Of Early Courses. 
Ei-nphasis On College Preparation, 
Siriphasis On Practical Subjects, 
Qualifications Of Teachers. 
giiiriEary, 





2. 




3. 




4, 




5, 


V. 


CONCLUSIONS. 


VI. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



CHAPTER I. 

FECONPARY EDUCATION BEFORE THE PUBLIC HIC^ SCHOOL. 

Secondary edtiOHtion in the United States showB three distinct 
phases; that of the Latin Gracijiiar School -vhich was a public in- 
stitution and whose purpose was to prepjare boys for college; 
the academy, a private institution, whose primary function was to 
give boys and girls who did not go to college a general practical 
and cultural training; and that of the high school, a public in- 
stitution, whose function as originally conceived wan like the 
acadet'.y. The grammar school had but one purpose, college pre- 
paration. The earlier academies were not bound up with the 
college system in the sarae way as the graiir.ar school. They were 
not primarily "fitting; schools". They were instead institutions 
of an independent sort taking pupils who had already aciuired 
the elements cf an English education and carrying them forward 
to some, rather indefinite, roiinding out of their studiest 
The tradition of the grannar schools nad© itself felt however 
and the classical studies were arranged with reference to 
college aduission re luirenen^-s. 

The phase of development represented by the aoadeny was the 
one secondary education had assuiued at the tire of the earl^' 
history of Iowa. The Latin Graiiarriar School period had passed 
and academies were tc be found in all parts of the country. 
A study of the early history of Iowa shows that the people 
were strongly interested in education from the beginning, 

1. Bror^i, J. F. /r.aricnn Hi.':i. Pohocl. p. o4. 

2. Brown, E. E. The Mfikin^ of Our .Middle Schools . p. 230. 



Secondary education early received attention. W. P, Oraner 
in an article on the orip-in of the high school says, "Before 

Iowa was e. territory she hart her school maetera • 

while yet a county of WiBoonsin Territory she had no leas 
than ten ohartereri private institutions of higher learning, 
variously styled Noru.al School, Acadewy or College". Ntunerous 
acader.ies and seKinaries were incorporated during the 
territorial period, hut noat of theci seem to hi ve had an 
existence on paper only. One grew into a fairly strong 
institution and has continued in operation to the present time. 
This was the academy at Damnarl'. . It soer^s to have been organ- 
ized even before the organization of the territorir and was for 
a long time the only incorporated academy in lowa^ 

The Denmark Academy represents one fom of secondary 
education in lO'va before the public high school. Its early 
history is interesting. The first settlers were from 
Massachusetts and New Hanpshire and used the woney from on© 
half of t?!e lots, set apart to fom the town, to found a 
school. The Academy was inaugurated in IS-s^S. ItB growth 
was slo^ at first. It was in a one s+ory house kept by 
Father Turner until in 1848 a stone b\iilrling was erected. 
The Academy opened that year"v«ith eighteen scholars, one 
from abroad". In 18B5 the number had increased to 270, 



1, lo v a Ko rrial Mont hly , Historical Souvenir IBiiO to 1849, 
p. 452 

3, Ibid, p. 389 



3. 

The catalo,";ue of that year reports i upils from fifteen 
states and territories. A new !*17,0' building was 
dedicated in lSn8 and the /cadeny continued to grow. It 
is said that during the period froffi 1B52 to 1870 about 
fifteen hundred students were oonnectsd with it, niiny of 
whom later occupied poaitions of influtmce and usefulnes-. 
Althou-^h no definite statiatics can be seciirod, there were 
evidently a number of other private academies in the state 
b.fore 187C. It wao not until 1871 tl-iat a fortial list 
of fifteen aoadenios and seninaries waa recorded in the 
report of th: State Superintendent. 

there were at this tine a muuber of graded or 
intermediate schools vhich were gradually extending their 
courses of study to include higher branches. This type of 
secondary education is illustrated by the school at Davenport. 
An intermediate school waa developed there in 1359, which took 
up the work of instruction in the higher branches as tho deniand 
for it grew. It was not called a high BChool but it offered 
a year of advanced work first and gradually increased its 
offering. In 18G1 it became the Davenport High School^ 
"There is no better illustration of the development of a high 
school from the grouping of those students, who had completed 



1. Edfion, E. K. "Historical Sketch of Denmark", 
Iowa Fchool Journal (1870) vol.11 No. 8, p. 242. 

2, Downer, J. Histor^^ of Davenport and Soott Cqj r.ty , 
vol. 1, p. 934, 



4. 

the elementary subjects, at first for a sincle year of 
advanced work and aubse luently for additional unita as the 
increasing numbers who patronized the public secondary 
school increased". 



Of the three distinct phases of aeocndary education 
in this country, only the last tvso are fcund in Iowa, the 
Academy and the Public High School. Before the Public 
High School secondary education was to be found in a number 
of private academies, of which the Deninark Aoaderay is 
representative and in intennediate schools like the one at 
Davenport . 



1. iiumer, C. P. History of Edtication in lora. Vol. o, p. Sll. 



CHAPTET? II. 
LEGAL PKOVISIOisS. 
Early Lawa Foraiinj? BasJB For T'fte 'Hi^ui Sohocl . 

In studying the legal tiBpoct of the j^rowth of the high 
aohocl in Ic-va we find a contrast to that of the noEiiion school. 
There are nany Jaws rej^^arding ©lerasntary education and few 
directly referrin^ft, to secondary'- education. This shows the close 
relation between the two. The hir:^ school grew out of the 
elementary school and reiuired very little direct legislation. 
"Speoifio legislation relative to the puV:;lio secondary school 
ia, ho^vever, almost a negligible matter in its history*. 

When Iowa becane a state in 1846 the conatitution pro- 
vided that the "General Assembly shall ©ncoiira^^e, by all s\iit- 
able means, the proicotion of intellectual, scientific, moral 
and agricultural iinprovenente and should endeavor to fulfill 
these re iuirer.ents by legislating for a system of common schools 
which should be maintained in each school district for not 
less than three months each year*. In 1849 a statute i^as en- 
acted authorizing, the electors to detetmine whether a school 
of higher grade should be established in the district, the 
number of teachers to be employed and the course of inflfc fxiotion 
to be pursued therein*? This is given as the "first definite 
provision for hig/ier inatr^.otion in the school legislation of 
Iowa"? There are very fe'^ records that schools of hi -her 

i. Aumer, n.T!. Hintcr'/ of F'-iucntion in Iowa. Vol. 5 p. 172. 

2. LawB of lorn 18^8 and 49 p. 100 

3. Aumer, C.R. History of Educr^tion in lo-.va. Vcl.l, p. 20 



6. 

grade v»er« •atabliehert, J. D. Eacls, Superlntimrtent of Public 
Instruction, eayn in hia rs^port for 18 "4 that he hft« viBltod 
a large nuwbcr of union or graded sohools v»hioh offorod higher 
eduoationi It Is rtoubtftii if these flOhoolB were really high 
aohoola ae w« know that St, Lonia had only openod her hi^h 
©chool in 18rS And the on© In Chirsago waa established in 1356, 

Tha law of 1857 gave to every incorporated town, city 
or district oontaininfi t«;o himdred inhabitants or Kore the 
power to ©stfiblieh prir*ry Bchools f\nd. said, "It sh£\ll bt) 
the further duty of said Board to eetabliah in said diBtrlot 
a suitable nuKber of ot^cr aohools of a hif.her r.rnde or grades 
vfherein instruction sh^ll be ci"^en in suoh studiea as xsay not 
be provided for in prir^ry BchccJ, the nur.ber of Bohoola and 
also the different grades *horeof to be deter;.ined by the said 
Board; and it ahall be the furtVer duty tc decide T?hat brj^.noheo 
shall be taught provided that no other languags than Knf.liah 
shall be taught therein except with concurrence of two thirds 
of 8ai'i5 Bocrd*? This law gave the Board power to ciake ail 
ncot^osary re;2;ulations conceminp Btxch schoole. No on© •Jould 
be eiccljdod who iiv«d in th& di;,trict and oth^frs raicht be ad- 
mitted by paying tuition. This is the legal basifl for the 
great devulopment of stcohdary educr^tion in leva. 

1. PfiT'o-^t o-f Pimi-, o^ ?»u>lio Img t ruc t ion 18-4 pp. 160-.1Q . 

2. I.^wr. of lo-.-. lP/r^-7 p. 337 



7. 

In Maroh, 1858 a law was pasEart author! -inf^, the 
eatabliahiiient of oounty high schools under certain conditions 
but thu revisod lai' of Deoonbar of tho -;ame year rtiooontinued 
it. During tho short time the law ^as in force a. scunty 
high sohocl was established at Albion, Marshall County; but, 
as no atate aid was givan, it waa auspendad after a year or two. 
In 1870 counties of two thoua-^nd inhabitt^nta were allo'^^ed to 
establish high sohoolsl: This law was Bortified sllrhtly in 
1873. According to the law the Board of SupcrviscrQ of &ny 
county, upon petition of one third of the elsctora, could sub- 
mit the iueation to the people at a general or sr«ci?^l election. 
If the majority decided in favor of the high school, the Board 
of Supervisors were to elect sit trustees, one of whom was to 
be tl::e Oounty Superintendent . This board was tc select a site 
and furnish the buildin,<^. The amendment in 1873 authorizel 
the board to order the election without the petition. 

In 1874 the people of Guthrie Oounty decided to establish 
a oounty high school. It was open'Sd in Panora in 1876, This 
is the en ly oounty hiqYi school suGoessfully established under 
this law. Many oovmties had tried to establish such a school 
before the law was a^nended and failed. The growth of schools 
of higher branches in the independent districts changed condi- 
tions 30 th"vt after the law was anended there was no longer 
the dDiiand for county hi/rh schools. 

1. Lixfif^ uf Io:\, 1P:F3R . pp, 79-83, 

3. Laws of Io?a, 1370 , p. 140. 

3. Code cf 1873. p, 314. 

4. Pfiport of Oouiifiissioner of Ediication, 1875. p. 40. 



8. 

Parlod or Ho IiOr.ii^l^^^iio'''> » 

For a long psrioi in ita hiatory there were no laws 
regarding the high school. Froir. 1873, when the Goimty 
high school law was ansndod, until after 1900 tho high 
school dsrclopsd .vithout leixislation. The Superintendent 
of Public Instru'ition in his report in 1878 said, "Fortunately 
for our state tho lueation of sustaining a high sfihocl in left 
entirely to the people of each locaii+y»i And in I'-ter 
reports the folloving opinions «ere expressed. "There ia little 
if anything connected with these schools that calls for legisla- 
tion. There is needed a closer and mors clearly defined con- 
nection between them and the hi/'Iar state school but this luust 
be left to the judgment of the aohool principals and the facul- 
ties of the institutions. It must be wore flexible than it 
could bs under legislation", "Iowa statutes nowhere define a 
high school or gcveam it;i organi.Tiation or raenticn higher qxiali- 
ficatione for teachers*^ Tha fact that there are so few laws 
is significant. Cle^irly the high school -flaa a growth fron the 
eleiientary school and has alvmys b en clooely connected ',fi*h it. 
Following this long period oi" no legislation several statutes 
were enacted having a direct bearing on secondary education. 
Laiss Affc-iting '^^m Oourse of P.'iidy . 

Two of the laws affecting the course of study in high 
schools differ from the oth-ra in this g'-oup in that they 
authorize state aid to the sohcols fulfilling certain 
reniirerrnta, '''hese are the Homal Training Law and the 



1. Iowa School Re port J 1878 & 1879, p. 39. 

2. lo-.a Pchocl Report, 1893 & 1893, p. 35 

5. Iowa ?chool Report, 19Cd, H,F. Manual, pp, 6 to 9, 



9. 

law givinc^ aid to consolidated sohoola. 

For a nuuiber of years there was agitation regarding 
the establishment of normal courses in the high schools to 
heir prepare teaohers for the rural schools. In 1911 a 
law was enacted giving five hundrei dollars a year from 
the state to high schools which established approved 
norrr.al training courses^ ;\ review of the octsnon branches 
was to be given together with instruction in Doriestic Pcience, 
Manu-jl Trainin<3, Agriculture and Pedagogy. The Superintendent 
of Public Instruction was to designate the high school, pres- 
cribe the conUtion of admission to the normal training classes, 
the course of instruction and other rules and regulations. 
The schools chosen were to be four year acoreditdd high schools 
and the course was to be established in the eleventh and twelfth 
years. 

No school could be approved without a class of ten or more. 
The certificate of graduation was to be a valid license to teach 
for two years in the state. In case more than one high 
school in any county was approved the total state aid was to 
be distributed but oould not exceed eight hiandred dollars. 
Twenty-five thousand dollars was to be appropriated for 1912 
and fifty thousand dollars annually thereafter. In 1913 
the appropriation was changed to read one hundred thousand 
dollars for 1914 and one hxindred twenty-five thousand dollars 
annually thereafter, 

1. Laws of lova, 1911, p. 148. 

3. Laws of lo.t, 1915^ pp. 361-363. 



10. 

In 1919 it was changed to one hundred ana fifty thousand 
dollars annually thereafter. Slight changes were made in 
other provisions of the law in J913. The words "In 11th 
and 12th years" wore omitted. The course was tc be established 
in four year accredited high schools, Oertif ioates ooxild be 
renewed for three years linder the same conditions that applied 
to the renewal of first grade uniforru ooiinty certificates. 
With these slight modifications the law has continued to the 
present time. As shown in chapter three the courses estab- 
lished under this act have been very popular. Large nui^bers 
have been graduated each year and the law has been oxtrenely 
influential in the later development of Iowa High Schools. 

In 1913 a l^w was passed giving state aid to consolidated 
schools. Each two room school that taught Agriculture, Home 
Economics and other vocational subjects and was approved by the 
state board was to receive two hundred and fifty dollars toward 
its e iuipment and an annixal siaa of two hundred dollars. Three 
room schools were given three hundred and fifty dollars tov/ard 
e^iuipment and five hundred dollars annually and four roon 

schools were given five hundred dollars toward e luipi :ent and 

o 
seven hundred and fifty dollars annually. 



1. Laws of lOA-a, 1919, p. 253 

Z, Laws of lova, 1913, pp, 2^)1-263 

3. L?-W3 of lo'va, 1913, p. 26S. 



11, 

This Ic.-K like the on^ establishing tho nornal training 
oourssB hae besn influential in the l;-t9r developr.ent of 
the hi.^h school. It han tione nxich to standax-'llae tho 

SEialler ochccla and make their \vork practical. Thasw two 
laws are the only ones giving laoney from the state to aid 
high schcolu. The only other aid reoeivod ia fedarral aid. 

The SKith-Hurfhes La«, appropriating federal rconoy to 
aid the different states in e atablishing and proncting 
vocational ed\ioation in Agriculture, Tr-idea and Indui-tr^'-, 
and Horae Econonsicn , '.vas passod in Pohnoarj'', 1917. It ',7as 
neoeesary for the le'^^.islature of the state to fornally 
accept the provioiona of the 1j\w. This was done later 

in the aamo year and the state bpard for oarr'-inj^ on this 
work with the loo.l coniaittees wan established. The board 
was called The State Bo-rrd of Vocational Education Jir.d 
consisted of the Superintendent of Public InBt ruction, the 
president of the S5tato Board of Kdiicaticn and the OoiMdesioner 
of Labor, This bo-rd was to cooperate with the Federal Board 
and havi; charge of the r^ork of establiwhinc standards and 
inape'-^tin^ tho approved school;?. 

Other lavfe havin^r to do vfith the v-^curse of study 
have not rmde appropriations to help in the work. In 1919 



1. T.aw3 of lovaj 1917, p. SS^", 



13. 

certain re-iuireaents in Amerioan History were set by lavi 
as follows; "Publio and private hizh sohoolB, acadeiiiea 
and. other institutions ranking as sfjoondary scshools which 
maintaineci a three year course of instruction shall oiier 
a ffiiniffium of instruction in Araerican History and Civics 
of the state and nation to the extent of two seiiiest era. 
And schools of this clasa which have four year courses 
shall offer in addition one aeriSster in Social ProbleBis 
and Economico*', The auperir. tor dent was authorized to 

prepare an outline of a course of stiidy in the atao^o 
subjects and distribute it to all high schools, and 
academies"? 

Two years later regular courseB of inatruotion in 
the Constitution of the United States and of Iowa were 
demanded. Such courses were to begin not later than 

the ei :hth grade and v^ere to continue in the high achooi 
course to an extent to be determined by the superintendent. 
Those last two laws are probably the result of conditions 
in the country which were realized during the wajTt The 
time has been too short to Judge of their efficiency. 
La,v9 Balongin?^, To No Sreeial Grouj,:). 

Dxiring the period after 1900 a number of laws were 
pasaed that affected the high school but which fall in no 
clearly defined group. In 190G the Superintendent of 

1. uavia of lo 7..1 , 1915 ^ p. 5o3. 

Z, Ibid. 

S. Laws of Iowa, 1931, pp. 82-83 



13. 

Pubiio Inat ruction sug-^estert in his report of that yoar 
that fr\temitiQ8 and sororities be forbidden by lcv«» aa 
the "public school is intensely rteisooratio and. mist f».l»i'ayB 
remain so*. In 19C9 a I'^.'S' prohibitin.c^ secret fraternities 
and Booietios in the public schools was passed. 

In 1915 a law was passed givint'; boards of directors power 
to employ their superintendent of schools for a terci of three 
years'; While this does not bear directly on the high 
school it shows a tendency toward better organization and in- 
struction. 

The work of inspection had been done by the higher in- 
stitutions but in 1913 the State Department of Publid Instnic- 
tion was authorized to appoint a force of inspoctors, not ex- 
ceeding three, to help in the vwrk of supervising the rural, 
graded and high oohocls*^ This gave legal sanction tc the 
work of inspection which had been carried out for a n'omber of 
years and helped very materially in the work of accrediting 
high schools, 

A law having a ver^/ important bearing on secondary 
education was passed in 1911, the law regfu'ding f»ee 
tuition for high school pupilsl This act provided that 
persona of school age, residents of school corporations 

1. taws of lo-^a, 1909, p. 179, 

2. Lays of Icvn, 1915, p. 356, 

3. L aws of Iowa, 1915, pp. 8^-90. 

4. La*-s of lova, 1911, p. 163. 



14. 

that did not offer a fotir year high sohocl course, ivere 
parraitted to attend any hirjh school; thoir tuition to be 
paid by the school corporation in which thoy reside. 
Pupils were reiuired to present certificates that they 
were o.^ school age, residents of specified districts 
and had satiafactorily completed the coniaon school branches. 
The tuition was to be paid for a period of four years only. 

This law not only served to give practically all 
children of tho state the opportunity for a high school 
education but holped to luioken the desire of schools to 
beooce approved. If a school corporation had an approved 
school it could not be ro luired to pay tuition to other 
schools anci v/ould prcbably be able to collect tuition from 
other corporations. This law has cortinuod with vary 
little amendment to the present tiiue, 
Surjuary . 

The legal provisions for high schools in leva are 
few in number. There are early larrj establishing the 
district and county hif^h school. Follo/ifin;^, a Ion-; period 
of no le.f^islation, there are a group of later la/ra af footing 
the course of study. The nonrtal training law and tho one 
giving'; stats aid to con30iidai.ed schools regulate aubjects 
to be tau£;"!it, authoriiiing state nid for the high schools 
that follow these ree^ulations; while others of this group 
merely define the instruction in certain subjects. Of the 
other laws of the period, liiiaoellantous in character, the 
most important is the free tuition law. 



1". 

CHAPTEI? III. 
PROGRESS AND DETrLOPMFNT OP THE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 
gstablii^hr.ent md Farly GrorSh* 

The public high oohool was a growth from the prinary 
schools. The priiaary schoola were eatahliehed,, and ware 
saoceasfui an-l gradually the people can© to tha hcliof 
that the children ahoi Id be given opportunity for more 
education and accordingly w63:e willing to establish high 
aohools and tstx themselves for their support. 

There are no definite statistics concerning public 
high aohools before 18"0. Daring the year 1857 there 
appeared in school roafa^.ines a good deal of diocusalon 
ocn?&ming vinion scI-sooIb and their advantages. The narae 
was expl.^ined. They were called "union eohoola* becaune 
uauHliy t»o or icore iiBtricta united to fono theni 55! d 
also because hey uinted the advantages of the conmon 
school and academy. Probably sone auch schools e^-isted 
in th.t state before 1S?4 as the ??uperin ten dent of Public 
Instruction in hla report for that year says that he had 
visited a nuiaber of union or graded schools in the larger 
towns of the state. These schools offered higher education. 

Ho 3V/S, * , a child entering the primary departnent 

without a knowledge of the alphabet can adv;^.nce from one 

department to another until he graduates from the 

highest department v'»ith a thorough practical Education 3ind 
fitted ii a:xy bo to enter the liiiivt^reity or oollsgo''V 

1. Vo ice of lo'vaj, Aivril, 1357 , p. 117. 

B. Report of Superintende nt of Pu blic Instruction, 1854 
PJT'. 1<J0-1'.U. 



16, 

It is difficult to say whioh town established the 
first school of higher grades. Probably the same thing 
took place about the sane time in Tipton and Dubuiue. 
The Iowa Normal Monthly gives credit for the ostablishwent 
of the first schools as follows; "In 1856 Dubuiue 
organized the first "high school*. Professor Sam Ohase 
being the first principal. The next year Professor A. S. 

Kisaell established the high school at Davenport. 

Probably in 1856 Professor C. 0. Neatlerods established the 
first 'union' school at Tipton*. 

hecHl basis had been given for the study of higher 
branches in 184 9*^ and repeated in 1857? In 1861 tli© 
Davenport City High School was definitely established as 
part of the school system and in 186<i high schools were 
established in Burlington, Muscatine and Des Moines. 
These proved successful and many others followed. In 1865 
there were eighteen public high schools located in Iowa as 
follows; Clarksville, West Union, McGregor, Independence, 
Manchester, Burlington, Dubuiue, Anamosa, Vinton, Des 
Moines, Oskaloosa, Cedar Hapids, Tipton, Davenport, Muscatine, 
Mount Pleasant, Washington and Iowa City. 



1. lo^ I Nonail Monthly, Historical Pouvenlr, 1830-1889, p. 291. 

2. Laws of Iowa, 1849, p. 100. 

3. Laws of Iow?t, 1857 , p. 337. 1858 , p. 79. 

4. Downer, History of Davenport and Scott County Vol.1, p. 934. 

5. Aumer, op. cit . p. 312. 

6. I owa NoiTsal Monthly , vol. 12, p. 440. 



17. 

References from tho ourre-t sohool literature indi- 
cate the feeling of the people toward the eatabllahment of the 
public high school. In 1867 the high schools of the state are 
spoken of as "prosperous" and in 18B9, tho following statement 
occurs in an editorial, "we do not know of any one agency in 
the state so essential to educational progress as that of well 
established high schools in every densely populated conpiunity." 
In 1868 Pr-nklin Wells says, "The high school ... stands with 
open doors inviting all to receive a hij^rher education, without 
money or without price." No adverse oritioiam appears and 
clearly there was a growing public interest in higher in- 
struction. 

By 1870 the public high school had been legalized, 
firmly established as part of the school system and well start- 
ed toward its development. It continued to grow rapidly. In 
1871 there were forty high schools in Iowa, twenty-three of 
which had well defined courses of study, and the people's inter- 
est in them was increasing"! The State Teachers* Association 
had a high school aecrtion in their program for that year, dis- 
cussing course of study, re luirements for admission to high 
school and other distinctive problems. In 187^ the high 
schools are reported as "generally popular and rai idly multi- 
plying"? West Des Moines had three teachers and one hxindred 
forty-three pupils that yearJ In 1889 one hundred twenty 
high schools existed? The nvuober had grown to one hundred 

BiTty-fip in 1S93. 

1. Iowa Instructor and School Journal 1867. Vol. B, p. 141. 

2. Iowa School Journal 1869, p. 6. 

3. Ibid, Vol. 9, No. 12, p. 376. 

4. Iowa School Report 1870-71, p. 114. 

5. Iowa School Journal, Vol.11, No. 11. (Aug. 1870) p. 338. 

6. Iowa School Report 1874-75, p. 38. 

7. Report of Comiiiissioner of Education 1874, p. 117. 

8. Iowa School Report 18'^9, p. 70* 



IS. 

Aooredlting And Inspect ion . 

The earliest attempt at claBsifioation of high schools 
was in 1870, v^hen t^ e State Teachers' Association called the 
work of one class for the year a grade and the first year of the 
high school the ninth grade, and adopted a course of study for 
high schools. The .^ork of accreditinf^ high schools as prepar- 
atory schools was berion early. In 1873 the nniver8it\r annoimced 
in its catalogue that it would receive without examination pupils 
from hirh schools and academies in which the course of study 
was the same as th^ preparatory course in the cataloj^ue for sub- 
freahmen. Three years later this privilege was extended to such 
schools as should be approved by the faculty of the University, 
these schools to be visited at their reiuesfr In 1891 they begai 
to print in their catalogues lists of accepted schools. During 
all this early period schools were approved or not according to 
their course of study. Not nuch, if any, visiting of schools was 
done. In 1883 a coriinittee was appointed by the College Professors' 
Section of the Iowa State Teachers' Association to confer with a 
coniDiittoe from the Superintendents and Principals' Section on 
Uniformity of reauirements for college entrance. Trom 1R84 to 
1888 the colle.'je and university departnont of the Educational 
Council had committees studying and reporting on high school 
problems^ This '^ork culminated in 1888 with the adoption by the 



1, lova Sc hool %-^oort 1378-79 , p, 39, 

2, Iowa state Board of Education, Bulletins 2, 3 an d 4 of 
Board of Socondary School Relations , p, 11. 

3, Ibid, p, 11 ff. 



19. 
general association of the report of a committee represienting the 
University, Normal School, denoiainational collef^ea and city high 
schools. This report reoonuaended that high schools be cla nified 
accordinp to the eourse of study; high schools having a four year 
course to be of the first class, those having a three year course 
to be of the second class and those having a two year course to 
be of the third class. The details of the miniiiuim of work for 
high schools of the first class were determined. Students graduat- 
ing from first class high schools, properly certificated by prin- 
cipals, were to be admitted to freshman class in college without 
further evidence of preparation. Twenty-nine of the existing 
high schools were ranked aa first class the first year. 

In 1891 a oomnittee of the Board of Regents -^hich had been 
petitioned to help bring the University and high school into 
closer relation, made a report which was accepted. This report 
included the first definite scheme of inspection. The plan was 
to count certain schools accredited if the faculty of the 
University was satisfied as to the course of study, methods of 
teaching and facilities of each, all such to be inspected by 
the University and reiuired to make annual reportsT Thus the 
first class high schools, after proper inspection were to be 
called accredited high schools. 

The work of inspection was at first undertaken by the 
Professor of Pedagogy in connection with his other work. 
In 1900 the Board of Regents appointed Professor McOonnell 
to devote his entire time to this work. After one year Dr. 

1. Ibid pp. 14-1 . 



20. 
J. F. Brown was appointed. Dnring the four years he held this 
office the work was well systei.-atized and organized. In 1905 
Mr. F. C, Ensign was appointed and he continued to serve until 
1910l 

In his report for 1906 State Superintendent Rigga suggested 
that while the high school has a close relation to the college, 
it does not exist for the college and should be tmder super- 
vision free from connection with the college yet friendly 
to it. In 1910 a Board on Secondary Relations was created under 
the authority of the State Board of Education. After consulta- 
tions with representatives of the University and the other State 
Colleges the Board on Secondary School Relations concluded to 
appoint an inspector of high schools as representing the State 
Board of Education and through it, all three of the institutions, 
thus bringing about uniformity of inspection. Mr. P. E, 
MoClennahan was appointed as inspector'^ The appointmnnt was 
made under the authority granted by statute to employ such help 

'A 

as is deei:;ed necessary to aid the finance oonuaittee, as it was 
not until 1913 that the Superintendent was authorized by law to 
appoint inepectorsi Since Mr. MoClennahan 's appointiatnt the 
office has remained in direct connection with the state board, 
A committee fBom the three institutions adopted uniform freshnan 
entrance re luirewents and a plan for accrediting high schools. 
The plan was approved by the State Board of Education. It is 
as follo'ws; 



1, Ibid pp. 16 to 23. 

3. Ibid p. 23 ff. 

3. First Bi-ennial Report of Iowa State Board 1908 to 1910 p. 35. 

^' Laws of lo>,-a 1913 . 

5. '^tate Board of Education Bulletin No, 1. of Board on 
Secondary Rnlations t p. 10. 



21. 
General Standards. 

1. The ooursQ of study ahall re .uire of eaoh pupil not nore 
than four recitationa d^.ily and shall rest upon an elementary 
courae of not leas than ei,7;ht years of thirty-six weeks each, 

2. The number of didly periods of clas^ room instruotion -iven 
by any one teaoher shall not exceed aeven, each forty minutes 
long . 

3. If all teachers of a school are graduates of standard colleges 
the school will be regarded as meeting the re ,uire;ients for 
aoholastic attainment of the teaching force. If one or more 
teachers are not such graduates the :°oard shall use its judgment 
in determining the sufficiency of scholastic attainment of such 
teacher or teachers, 

4. Laboratory and library facilities and character of text books 
Bhall be adeiuate to the needs of instruction in the subjects 
taught . 

5. The iuality of instruction, the spirit of the school and con- 
dition of the achool buildin,-: shall be such as to make possible 
satisfactory scholarship. 

For tho purpose of adriinlstration in accrediting, the schools 
were divided into groups. Group Nuiaber One consisted of schools 
meetiufi the genetal standards and the following specific standards. 

1, At least fifteen units for gradviation. 

2, A course of study meeting re -.uirenenta for unoohditioned en- 
trance upon all the four year college courses in said institution, 

3, The number of daily periods of class room instruction not to 
exceed six, each to extend forty minutes in the clear. 



32. 

4. The nutj'ber of pupils not to exceed an average of thirty for 
eaoh teacher. 

5. A Eiinimuin teaching force of four teachers of academic subjects, 
exclusive cf the superintendnnt , 

6. Quality of the teachers' inst motions and character of students' 
schol-irship as determined both by inspection and by college re- 
cords of graduates to be of a notably hi^^h order. 

Group Nuiaber T'lvo consisted of schools not classified in 
Group One but meetinr' the general standards and the following 
specific standards, 

1. At least fifteen units for graduation. 

2. A course of study raeetinj^ re luireKents for unconditioned en- 
trance upon liberal arts or general collf giate courses in said 
institution, 

3. Miniwuin high school teaching force of three teachers including 
superintendent . 

4. Minimum teaching force in elementary grades of four. 

A third group was formed of schools raeetin;^ the general 
reiuireruents but reiuiring only twelve units for graduation and 
with the Eiiniraum teaching force of two for the high school and 
four in the elementary grades. 

This plan with vory little change remained until 1919 
when there was am overlapping of the accredited and approved 
schools. Then a joint conrnittee and faculties of the instf tt>.tAons 
passed a resolution relative to the work nnd the state institu- 
tions dropped this list of accredited schools. 

1, Report of Department of Public Instruction 1930 p. 36. 



In 1912 the inspection of aeoondary schools is spoken 
of as one of the most useful agencies in tho furtherance of the 
State Boira's worki fuperintenrtent McOlennahan said in 1914, 
"As the idea develops of having an articulated systeii of educa- 
tion froE4 the kindergarten through the college or universitir for 
this co^^uionwealth of more than two luillion people, the function 
of accrediting and inspection becomes clearer, T^ithout legislative 
enactff.ent but by a process of evolution there has developed in 
Iowa during the past forty years a uiethod of articulation of ele- 
mentary, secondary and higher schools that has been far reaching 
in its influence and efficient in its administration. It has the 
sanction of custom and could have been no more potent by statutory 

action because it is the intelligent expression of the ideas of 

•J 
conscientious and practical educators?"' There were three 

hundred and nineteen accredited high schools in the state in 1914. 
According to the atater.ent o^^ the Puperintendent , ninety per cent 
of the pupils enrolled in high schools were directly and con- 
structively supervised by the boird of education*;^ 

The accompanying table gives the number of lo-va schools 
accredited under the auspices of the University and the State 
Board since 1881. Prorn 18R1 to lo^4 no difference was ria.de be- 
tween the schools partially and fully accredited. The s^r^e is 
true since 1911. Before 1892 schools were accredited on in3i)ec- 
tion of the course of study. From 1892 to 1895 there was no 
accredited list published. After 1900 a regular high school 

1. Second Biennial Report of Iowa State Poard 1910-1912,, p. 2 7. 

2. , Third Biennial Report of Iov;a State) Board 1912-1914, p. 23. 
5. Ibid pp. 23 to 37. 



2'^. 
inspector devoted his entire time to the work and no school was 
accredited without personal inapeotion. 
Year Fully Aocrodited Parti---.lly /ocrr.dited Aocredited 

19 

25 
7A 
56 

28 

31 

32 

37 

40 

43 

45 

29 

44 

54 

63 

69 

65 

63 

63 

58 

40 

47 

44 

49 

49 

237 
237 
273 
319 



1881 




188J 




1883 




1884 




138 r 


17 


1886 


17 


168 V 


19 


1888 


35 


1889 


a9 


1890 


33 


1891 


35 


1896 


68 


1897 


91 


1898 


100 


1899 


102 


1900 


107 


1901 


118 


1902 


130 


1903 


120 


1804 


128 


1905 


162 


1906 


173 


1907 


182 


1908 


195 


1909 


194 


1910 




1911 




1912 




1913 




1914 




1916 




North 


Oentrc'.l Association. 



375 



The work of accrediting high schools has been reinforced 
by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondarj^ 
Schools, -This Association is one of a muciber for the great dis- 
tricts of the United Ptatea. It is purely voluntary and stimu- 
lates education by the prenentation of standards free froK 
political, lcc'\l, or financial influence. It was organized in 

T; lo'A'a state Board of Education Buile'-ins 3-5 and 4 on Board 
of Secondary School Relations, p. 36. 

2. First Biennial Report of lovm State Board of Education, 
1908-10, p. 47. 



35. 
1895 by prominent ©rtucatorB of the Misaiseippi Valley, becnuae 
they felt the need of sorae organi7.a'-ion that woulrt be recor- 
nii&6d not only in one state but in all states repreeented in the 
association. The work don© by this association in establishing 
standards and in incroasinc educational efficiency has been recog- 
nized by educators all over the country. Many colleges th^t have 
never followed anythinf?; but an examination systen for colJe^re 
entrance have recently recognized the work of this association and 
now admit students who come from 8econda:ry schools accredited by 
the association. Through this association, the schools of Iowa 
are affiliated with schools in sixteen other states. 

At an annual meeting of the representatives from ^he best 
secondary schools, college officers and state inspectors, the 
schools are accredited for one year. The standards of the 
association are hirrher with respect to the teaching force than 
those set up by the State Board. In the schools accredited by 
the association, the minimum attainment of teachers in acadenlc 
subjects must be equivalent to graduation from colleges belonging 
to tlie aseooiation, r<i.uiring the completion of a four year course 
or one hundred twenty semester hours in advance of a standat d four 
year high school course and inclufUng at least eleven semester 
hours in education. This must include special study of the sub- 
ject matter and pedagogy of the subject taught. The association 
also puts emphasis on e'^ficiency of instruction, ac luired habits 
of thought ^nd study and the general intellectual and moral tone 
of the school. These things are deterruined by inspection'^ 



1. Report of lO'va State Board 1S16. p. 47 

S. Proceedings of the North Central Association of Colleges and 
Secondary Schools 1931, p, 32, 



36, 

Iowa schools .yere on the list of thoaa accredited by this aaso- 
ciation from the beginning. In 1910 there were fifty-seven, in 
1914 sixty-fire ?tnd in 1931 eighty-nine high schools accredited 
by the North Central Association^i 

The accrediting of high schools by the University, the 
State Board and the North Central Association has been a poT;er- 
ful factor in their development. It hns brourht about a "uni- 
formity of standards and has been a a^lrong incentive to improve 
buildings, teaching force and course of study. Probably in 
the effort to brinij the course of study up to reiuireiufnts 
subjects of practical value were ocitte*. This was er'.r-ocially 
true in the caso of the SKaller schools. 
The Koni;^! Training Hi"h Pchocl. 

During the time that accre'Uting and inspection of high 
schools was being -worked out an'i perfected, another factor 
in their development was gradually aipearin;^. There vfas felt 
the need of emphasis on the Tuain purpose for which the high 
school was founded, not simply as preparatory schools but as a 
"people's college". A reorganization and readjustment rlong 
many lines in the school curriculum was urged, and the importance 
of vocational and physical education stre-Bedt As will be seen 
in Chapter Four the curriculxim had been gradually broadening, 
manuiil training, hoiae economics and agriculture had been in- 
troduced into tiany schools, 

1, Ibid p. Z2. 

2. lora School Be port 191i and 14. p. 54. ff. 



» ' • 

In direot acoorrl with this effort to nake tho oohools 
serve the oowmunity wa-^ the movement to train teachers for the 
rural sshools in the hir^h schools of the state. A3 early as 1881 
the State Superintf^ndent had definitely reccrinended sone provision 
for tTTlnln'' teachers. *Our hi^h schools sho^ild do one thing for 
the education of the mas sea \vhich but fe.T undertake to do at the 
present time. They ^hoxld furnish nonn-a training to all who 
desire to teach**!' The establiahraent of county hi^-.h schools had 
teeon urr,ed for this reasoh, "^he supplyinj]; of te'\chers for the 
rural schools had always been a bi/.^ problem* In the report of 
1905 the Superintendent said, "It in entirely feasible for the 
state to commission strong hi/^h schools in all parts of the state 
to offer a year's course in advance of the regular work of the 
school and fcr the benefit of prospective teachers". 

In 1911 the lav? establishing normal trainin" courses in 
high schools was passed, n^rtain hi^h schools ^;?ere to be desig- 

nated by tho Superintendent as nomal trainlnrr high schools. They 
were to offer a teacher's course in Arithmetic, ^rramriar -nd Headir^g 
and were to give instruction in Home Econoiriico, A^rriculture and 
Pedagogy. Each high srshool thus designated which of feared the 
above course and no.intained a class of ten was to receive annually 

from the state five hundred dollars. This was later raised to 

4 
seven hundred an'^ fifty dollars. 



1. lov/a Bchcol Report 18R1 . p. 39. 

2. Io?;a School Report 1906. p. 20. 

3. Laws of Iowa 1911. p. 148, 

4. Iowa School Report 1911-12. p. 34. 



28. 

These BChoclB were popular froin the beginnin'^. Forty 
schools were chosen the first year. In IQl-^ the number i/vas raised 
to one hundred and thirty and in 1915 to one hundred and si^ty-three. 
The re.nriilationa were -^11 in the hands of the PtatR Board nn-i from 
time to time improvement has been nade in the course of atudy. 
Those schools have -^'one much to help in the teacher probleri and to 
improve a course of ^?tudy, "The High School Nomal Training Law 
has done more in the laat three In trs^nsfonriing the course of study 
in hifTh schools than anythinf^ that has ever been done in the state. 
Our hi/7,h schools are now more nearly neetin/^ the needs of the com- 
munity. It has meant better bnildin/TS, better emipment, better 
teachers and more praotic il courses of stiidy? '^ The following 
table 3hov»r3 the gro>»th of nori'ial training work for the first 



Number of Knrollraent in Average No. in Total No. Ccrti- 

K.T. Clasocs each school float es ir.sued. 

634 15 

1400 15 180 

;j379 17 806 

3100 19 1649 

5001 SI 2750 

'.560 31 2935 

567;3 y..- ^97Q 



seven years; 


Tear 


Niimber < 




Schools 


1911-12 


40 


1913-1.-: 


93 


1910-14 


132 


1914-15 


163 


I9ir:-ie 


1G7 


1916-17 


170 


1917-18 


172 



Ccnsoliciated and County High Schools . 

Consclld;it8d sohcolH were slow in getting]; started in 
Iowa and not much oar be found about the work of the hi^^her grades 
in these school::. The period of developncnt has been since 1900. 
In that year consolidation was tried in twenty-eight counties, 
the patrons in twenty counties wert reported as well satisfied. 



1. Iowa School Report 1912-14. p. 80. 

2. Ibid p. 15. 

3. lo-va School Report 1914-16 p. XXIX. 



In eir^t counties there was seme d.lasatisf action owinj- generally 
to bad roadst In 1913 fhnre v,ere only eighteen consolidated 
echools in the state. The niaaber had reached seventy in 1914 and 
in 1916 one hundred oirhty-aever ccnBolidated schoolB had been or- 
gani;^ed ?.nd it is said that "hi^^rh school adv?.ntar,e3 have been or 
will be provided in practically every inBtar.c<^? " The reason 
for the increased number durin^r this p'^^'iod w?a thnt state aid 
bad been r^ivpjn these schools by lawf 

Under thi<3 statute those that taufrht Agriculture and Home 
Eoononics or ot>'er vocational subjects under conditions meeting 
the approval of the board were to receive from the state a 
certain amount of laoney to be used tc^ard the equipment for the 
teachin.*:; of such subjects and also an annual amount to b^^ used 
in carrying out the '«iork. The size of the school determined 
the amount received. This law stinulated the people to ©ntablish 
schools that would meet the re luireiuents and help toward a uni- 
formity of the courses of study as well as assuring tbo teaching 
of vocational subjects. Thus the sj-i'll high schools too C'-tue 
under the direction ?ind control of the state. 

The history of the county high school in lo^va is interest- 
ing. The purpose in the -first plan for county hif;h schools was 
to prepare teachers and also serve as- the school for the young 
people of the county. Stato Superintendent M. L. Fisher proposed 
in 1857, that all populous and wealthy coim' ies should be r?^ uired 
by law to establish such schools. In 185B a 1"?? was panned author- 



1# lova School rlt>port, 1900-1901. p, 75. 
3. Iowa School Report, 1914-1916. p. XXYII. 
S< Laws of lova, 1913. p. 368. 



50. 

izing the oounty boarrt to establish auoh a sohool i;? they Gon- 

siriered it adwisablet In several ooimties the attei.pt was made 

but the only one oi^ganifjed was at Albion, M-TshHll County, before 

the failure of the law. Thh present law was enacted in 1870 and 

amended in 1873t Evidently th« city hif'.h aohooia anvi colleges 

had taken the plaoe of sud"! achoclH and only one county hir,h 

school was established under thia law, 

Thia school v»a8 al Panora, Guthria County, It was opened 

in 1876 and aeems to have been very su^cieaaful? In 1885 it ia 

apoken of as having produced excellent results. Bog xuse of it the 

rural sohoola near had been supplied with better teaohere. At 

that tine it had a total of one hundred thirty-eight graduates 

and an annual enroiinent of two hxindred twenty-five. Tuition was 

free to all re3id©nt0 of the oounty. A large percentage of its 

students were preparin.-r thfjmselves for teaohin,-' in the district 

schools and special attention was gi-'^en to that, but other courses 

mere offered including a college preparatory course. "For the 

Institution there was no precedent in Iowa, and it ccnsti'utes 

5 
the only sucoesaful effort under the law of 1870." It ir, strange 

that more of these schools were not established beoauae although 
tho city high schools provided preparatory work, soliools to pre- 
pare teachers were always needed. Probably the nonial training 
high s ':i hoc 1 and the consolidated high school have taken the place 
of the county high school as originally planr'ed. 

1. Laws of lOiia 1658, p, ?li, 
3. Code Of 1872. p. 314. 

3. Auiner op. ci+ . p, 193. 

4. Iowa School Report 139a-93. p. 37 # 

5. Aumer op. cit. p. 199. 



31. 
The Approved IIi.r^.h Fohocl . 

A very important factor in the development of all types 
of the hio;h school h<as bean the frse tuition l.iv? enacte:'; in 1911, 
It provided tho opportunity of • hifrh school edur;=ttion for prac- 
tically all oi tYiK) chilrtren of ths stata. Any pi.raon of achocl 
age reaicient of i achocl corporation that did not provide an ap- 
proved high school coulri, undtiT the prcvisiona of thia lai.'?, at- 
tend any a proved hii^h school in the state and thti corporation in 
whiol ho lived Arculd bo forced to pay his tuition. This law 
naturally increaBod the hi-h school enrolltuent Vi>ry i.atoriHlly 
in the years that follosved. In 1S19 more than one fourth of the 
enrollrr.ent in approved high asl-iools were tuition pupils and the 
nuiiiber of non-rf> lident pupils vvaa increaaing every year"? 

In order to fjive eiual educ-itional pxi^ilegeu to all it 
beoaj;;e necsoary to inspect and claesify the schools of the 
state and to "place ?. r.ark of a. prcval upon schools of the state 
pre, pared to give face value for tuition paid then"';' The state 



department was authorized to ni^point a force of inspectore to 
help in the vork of oupervisin^" schools, Thoy begtin to inspect 
all schools and to classify tha^ as approved for one, two, three 
and four years of hi^h school work. The standards were practi- 
cally th<i sau^e as those for the accredited schools. The accreditwd 
schools bfccuiiie approved schools. The fact that the districts with 
approved schools were not re iuired to pay tuition and mi^^ht oolledt 
it froru other districtii gave the depart^r.ent added power i.c fciixuroe 



1. I.a.vs of Ic-vA 1911. p. 105. 

2. lo-^a School Report 1919. 

3. lo-va School Peport 1914-in. p. :'YI, 

4. Laws of Iowa 1913. p. BH. 

5. Biennial Ruport of Superintendent of Public Instruction 1920. p.bk; 






its classific-^tion and the work advanoed rapidly. The nuuiber of 
approved standard high schools was five hiondred sirty-nir.e in 
1918 and seven htondred and ninety-two in 1930. 

In 1920 the hir;h school aituation was given in the Superin- 
tendent's Report as follows: "The public high schools of the 
state are divided Into approved, consolidnted and normal training. 
An approved school is one that has been inspected and sts-ndardiz-ed 
by the Departiuent of Public Instruction. All high schools must be 
approved if they desire to receive tuition for non-resident pupils. 
The consolid'ted school is organized under a sjiBCial statute, 
receives aid for e luipment and maintenance, and must give special 
emphasis to vocational subjects, with greatest stress upon Manual 
Training, Doraeatio Pcienoe and Agriculture, The nonaal training 
high school is in reali-t-y only a department in a high school with 
special emphasis on methods of teaching. Inspectors are annually 
visiting these various types of schools." The report for that 
year gives six hundred and thirty-nine schools approved for four 
year high schools; eighty for three year high schools; sixty-seven 
for two year high schools and fourteen for one year high schools. 
Six hundred and thirty-nine approved or accredited high schools 
in 1930 compared with three hundred and seventy-five shows 
clearly the rapid growth of the recent period. 

1. Ibid. 

2. Report of Supt . of Pub. Instr. 1919-1920. p. 21. 

3. Ibid. p. 52. 



33. 

Public Oritloisiu . 

In the b-iiginning the hir;h schools :^ere ver^-- popular 
but as they developed they were criticized. In IS^S th^re began 
to ba a feeling of opposition, '''hey were criticised for enlarging 
beyond the financial ability and neces^sities o^^ the case, /a the 
work of classification developed and luinimuti reiuirenenta were 
laid down by higher institutions, there was a tendency to forget 
the broader purpose of the high school and to put too ciuch eiu- 
phaais on the fianction of fitting, for college. In one of the lead- 
ing magazines of the country there appeared an article in the 
year 1889, on the state of Iowa. This article contained serious 
criticism of the high school. The following is luoted from it: 
"The purpose of this school system was primarily to educate the 
youth in the eletuente of an En relish education in reading, writing, 
arithmetic, orthography, geography, gracunar and history. In some 
of the more ambitious toums and cities there has been engrafted 
upon this, and paid for from the sai:.6 source, what is often called 
the high school or grar.h.ar school, in which are taught in addition 
to the subjects just mentioned the dead languages, often Latin, 
sometiiiies Greek, Gerr.an and French, '''hese schools in the larger 
cities are to some extent the e luivalent of lower grades of col- 
leges, which perhaps should never have been started. It is, hov.aver 
becoming a question, and a grave one, in the state, whether these 
high schools are not a violation of the spirit and purpose found 
In the statutes, which irere intended to establish what we under- 

1. Iowa School Report, 1878-1879. p. 4^. 



stand by the words a coranion school systeiii^ Superintendent Sabin 
answered the criticisia by luoting from early reports to show that 
the hicrh school was not "en^^rafted on the system* and is in no way 
a violation of the spirit and purpose of the law? 

In the report for 1892 and 93, high schools are urged to 
change their courses as sone are *dangerou3l3'- topheavy*. It is 
said that many are carrying too many studios and studies beyond the 
grasp of the iaui-ature minds of their pupils. On the progiram for 
the meeting of the State Teachers' Aasociation in 1893 there was a 
paper read on "How can our high schools be laade more popular with 
the masses "^ In 1894 it was said that there was a disposition 
to give prominence to high schools in relation to institutions 
above and not to the schools below which are more important. In 
1897 m-my high schools were criticized by the Superintendent for 
attempting too much^^ It is emphasized in a paper read at the 
State Teachers* Association for 1896, that the high school is a 
preparatory school not n; cessarily for college but for any kind of 
usefulness; that its r.pirit must be broad and liberal and that it 
must not "ape the college"; At the same meeting an address by 
R. r,. Barrett contains the statenent, "Our high schools are not 

overgro?rn district schools nor 'feeders' alone for our colleges 

7 
and universities. They are the colleges for the common people? 

He goes on to urge special re luirer.ents for high school teacTers 

and the offering of courses for others besides thoso going to col3e ge. 



1. Miller, J. The State of lo/m. Harper's Maga25ine,July,1889.p.75, 

2. Iowa School Report 1889. p, (r;ii. 

3. Iowa School Report 1893, p. 79. 

4. Proceed in "S of I.^.T.A, 1894. pp, 120-121. 

5. Iowa School Report 1896-9'7, p, 137. 

6. Proceedings of I.F.T.A. 1896, p. 118. 

7. Ibid. p. 3'/, 



5rn 

Certain educators kept In niina the re-dl purpose, of the high schccl 

but it seeir.ed necessary to reminrt many teachers and aciminiet raters 

that vvhile the work of colle^^e preparation was very important, it 

the 
was not/only purpose nor yet the main purpose for which the 

schools were founded. The period of greatest criticism was between 

1888 and 1900 when the high schools concent ratrd on preparation 

for college. After 1900 the curriculura gradually broadened; the 

high school became of more service to the community an^' not so much 

criticism was found. 

The sentiment of recent years is expressed in the following 
quotation; "This is coming to be the age of the universal high 
school. The high school today ia considered as important in 
educational preparation as elementary schools were a generation 
ago. The establishment of rapidly incro'^sing number of high 
schools in the state and the constant raising of the standard of 
high schools already organized attest to the general interest of 
the high s chocl in Iowa? 
The Junior High Fchocl. 

A recent developrant of importance in +^ school system 
that should be considered is the introduction of the junior 
high school. Before 1900 several educators in thin ooxintry had 
begtm to make a change in the grouping of the grades of the public 
school 30 as to better adapt education to the needs of the pre- 
adole80<^nt and adolescent periods. Between 1900 and 1910 various 
plans were tried and by 1916*^ almost every state had one or more 

1. Iowa Educational Directory 1918-19. p, 47, 

2. Bennett, 0. V. The Junior High Bchool. p. 9, 



junior high aohools. The oli pirxn of orr.anizatlon of eir.ht, years 
for the primary school an-l four yearn for the high sohcol was not 
conaiaered tho bes* divigion posBible, Statlntlcr.l at.u'l^.es ahoweri 
a high rate of pupil mortality at the sixth gracio -xnd the feeling 
grew that many features of the elemontary school were unsuited 
to the children of the upper grade, A aeparptf. dirinion, inolMing 
the eevf^nth, ei^^hth and ninth grndes waa tried. 

The hiotory of the Junior high school moir«nent in'riowa is 
not eaay to trace. In 1905 Marah-^lltown had tho eighth grade 
of ita school syBten departrifjntali/.ed and conducted in tho high 
aohool buildinr. In 1917 a conraittee of the Educational Coimoil 
reported the results of an invRS'^igatlon tht^y had made concerning 
the junior high BChcol in lo.v?., to tho Stato Teachers' Association, 
They had reporta froF. forty-four hi^^h schoole, five of which re- 
portefl junior high aohocle, Clinton hJ5.d e. separate sohocl for 
the eighth and ninth grades; Marion for tho Hevt^nth and eighth 
grades; Cinrion, Newton ?^nd Enet TSaterloo had aohoclB for the 
aevonth and ois^hth gradea ^^ith piano to include the ninth grade; 
Davenport and Carroll reported plane; under way to eatabliah 
junior high schools in the near future. Thf>8e ©choola evidently 
have developed rapidly hb in 19.:0 the^re wertj thirt.y-aix Iowa 
BOhoola which claimed junior high aohoola"? 

1, Koo3, L. V. Tho Junior Hirh Fchool . pp. :i and 3, 

2, Bennett op. cit. p, 32 

3, The Junior Hiph Pchool Clearin- Kouno vol.1. Ho, 3. p. 1"?. 



■7 <7 

gummn ry . 

The public high sohool vraa eatabliahed before 1870 and 
grew rapidly. The work of accrediting high schools was begiin 
early in their history by the University, The State Teachers* 
Association and the other higher inatitiitiona of learning of 
the state helped in the work and it was finally completed by 
the adoption of standards and a system of inspection by the 
state board. This work has been reinforced by the North Central 
Association of Colleges and f?econdary fichools. The Nomal Train- 
ing High School, established by law for the purpose of training 
teachers for tho rural schools, has been succensful in ever:'' way 
and has been a help toward better eiuipnent, teaching forc^ and 
course of study in all high schools. Consolidated schools, which 
emphasized vocational education, advanced slowly at first but 
after receiving aid from the state have had a period of ;;rea+ 
developxnent and usefulness. AlthoUj-rh it has been satisfactory 
there is only one county high school in lev ■ , The free tuition 
law has increased high school enrollment and helped to bring 
ocEiplete classification of all the high schools in the state. 
The last ten years have been a period of very rapid growth. 
The time of severest crlticisru of the high school was between 
1888 and 1900, when it eciphasized college preparation to the 
erclusion of practical courses, '''he l\ter developments have 
made the high sohool of more practical service to the conriunity 
and less criticism is found. Junior high schools have been 
established in many tovms in Iowa. 



38. 
CHAPTER IV. 
aUHRirjULTJ}.! ^^ D TEACnER?5. 

CharaGterl3', los of Early noiirson . 

The examination of a mmber of early courses of study 
shows that they had certain characterirjtioa in coioiiion. 
The oourae at Tipton has not been preaorveri in any available 
record but it is described in a letter, written by John 1, 
Reeder on Hay 30th, 1914. Mr. Reeder was both a student and 
a teacher under n. n. Nestlerode, the founder of this early 
union school. In this, Mr. Reeder said that two divisions 

were organized, a first and second division. In the beginning 
both pursued the same subjects b\it classification was so ad- 
justed that the second group after a definite experience was 
qualified to carry other linos in af^riition tc those as^i.^red to 

the firgt. Higher Arithmetic, Algebra, (reocietry, Hennan and 
Latin were introduced into the second division. In 1853 

Chemistry was included. 

The course at Dubuiue in 1858 was as follows:" 

First Year. 

Higher Arithrio^ic; Elementary Alrjebra; Kngliah History; 

Analytical Grammar; Physiology; Constitution of the United 

States; Rhetorical Reading; Spelling by Writinr; Declai.ation 

and Music. 

Second Vear. 

Natural Philo80F>iy; Higher Al.rrebra; Geor;etry; Bookkeeping;; 

Ancient History; Rhetorical Roadin,^; Decla:,ation; Composition 

and ;.usic. 

1. Aumer, op. cit. , vol. 3, p. iiSO, 

2. Ibid, p. 381. 



39. 

Thinl Tear. 
Hi,";her Algebra; freometryj Trigonoraetry; Botany; Rhetoric; 
An-4.1y3i;3 of Language; ChenisLry; Astronomy; Deolaiiation; 
Cooipo.-iition ani Muoic, 

Fourth Tear. 
M9Chr\nical Philoaophy; Surveying; En^ineoring; Analytical 
Geometry; Phyaiolo?»y; Meteorology^; Eleronta of Criticism; 
Rorie-'Y of History; Political Eoonony; Hontal Philosophy and 
Logic. 

The courBo at Mt , Pleasant, 13^3. 

First Tear. 
Firat Term : 

En.'^ligh Grauinar; fri+'ten Arithmetic, beginning with d ;ciinal 
fractions; Writin:^, Elementary Oompoaition; Reading and Spelling, 
Second '^erra; 

Grani.ar; Written Arithnetio; Writing; Mental Arithiaetic; 
Reading and Spelling. 
Third Torm ; 

Oranuiar, Finished; Arithmetic, Finished; Descriptive Geography; 
frit in,-'; Reading and Spelling. 

Second Tear. 
First Term ; 

Algebra; Latin Grammar; Rhetoric and CompoBition; Reading in 
such oaseg as the principal shall deem advisable. 
Seccni '^err;; 

Algebra; Latin Gramnar and Reader; Physical Geography. 
Third Terra; 
Algebra; Latin-Oaesar's Commentaries; Astronomy, 

Third Tear. 

First Term; 

Geometry; Virgil; Chemistry. 



40. 
Sscon'j Term ; 

GeometTf} Virr^ilj Physiclogy, 
Third Tenr.; 

Qeometry; CJicero's Orations; Geology. 

Fourth Yfiar. 
First Term ; 

Trigonometry; Intellectuiil Philoaophy; logic; Moral Philosophy. 
geccn'i Terra ; 

Surv yin,:; and Navirjation; Phy.jiosj Natural Theology. 
Third Terci ; 

Enp[ineerin.»; Constitution of United States; Fvidenoe of 
Christianity; Elocution vvith Ctitioal Readings. 
Bookkeeping, Botany or Mineralogy might bo substituted for 
portions of the reiuired Latin In thla arrangement . Assays or 
declariations onoe a w ek wore reiuired of all without exooption. 
Course of study for Burlington, 1865. 

English Course. 
First Year. 
First Terra: 

/rithnetic; English Gmr.rar; Physiology. 
Second Term ; 

Arithmetic; Algebra; English Granioar; Physiology. 
Third Terra ; 

Algebra J Constitution of United States and lo^'a; Bookkeeping; 
English Language. 

Pftoond Tear. 
yiret Term ; 

Algebra; Universal Kistory; Natural Philosophy. 
Second Term; 
Geonetry; Universal History, completed; Natural Philosophy, completed. 



41. 

Third Teriu; 

Qeorcetry; '"Sncient Geof.raphy; Rhetoric, 

Third Year. 
First Term ; 

Geometry; Trigonor/.etry; Cheiulatry; Rhetoric, 
Second Term; 

Trigonometry; Chemistry; Botany. 
Third Terr.,; 
Surveying; AstronoEay; Botany, completed, 

Fourth Tear, 
Firat Tarm; 

Geology; Natural History; Moral Philosophy, 
Second Term ; 

Geology; Meteorology; Mental Philosophy, 
Third Term; 

Geolo,^,y; Reviews of all Previous Studies, 

En^^lish and Latin Oourae. 

Firat Year. 
First Terra; 

irithmetio; English Graniuar; Physiology, 
Second Term; 

Arithmetic; Algebra; Latin; Physical Geogr^^phy, 
Third Term; 

Algebra; Latin or German; Const it\it ion of United Sta■^ea; 
Bookkeeping. 

Second Year. 
First Tern ; 

Algebra; Latin or Crerman; Natural Philosophy, 
Seocnd Term ; 
GeoEietry; Latin or German; Naturtil Philosophy. 



4? 
Third Terr'. ; 
Geometry: Latin or GerRian; Rhetorio. 

Third Year. 
Tirst Terui ; 

GeoEotry; Trigonometry} Latin or Germsin; Rhetoric. 
Seoon^' Torm; 

Trigonometry; Latin or Genianj Chemistry, 
Third Term ; 
Surveying; Latin or Genaan; Chemistry, 

Fourth Year. 
First Tartii ; 

Geology J Latin; Moral Philosophy. 
Second Torm ; 

Universal Hiatory; Astronoiiiy; Montal Philosophy. 
Third Torm t 

Universal History; Botany; Natural History; Mental 
Philosophy, 



43. 

It is clear froin a stu'^y of these ty: ical courses of 
the early period that foreign language was considered im- 
portant ; and that a good deal of emphasis was put on math- 
eui-^tics; aritlimetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and 
sjirvaying being included. An influence of the academy is 
evident in the retaining of r,uch subjects as Hatiiral Philosophy, 
Moral Philosophy, etc. The course in English is very light 
even >i»hen given as »an English course in the Burlington course 
of study. 
Emphasis on College Preparation. 

Efforts at uniformity of tha course were made, but for 
a long time each school wrjnt its own way. In 1871 a course of 
study for high schools was adopted by the State Teachers' Asso- 
ciation. It was very much like the early courses but con- 
tained a little more English and not luito so much philosophy. 
In 1377 a course adopted in the same manner shows mathematics 

o 

still very strohg, solid geometry having been added, Latin 
continuoB but there is stili more English. All of these courses 
plainly stressed preparation for college and comi^aratively early 
in its history, criticism appeared concerning this tendency in 
the high school. In 1380 the following appeared in the superin- 
tendent's report for that year, "that the courses of study in 
our schools are often not adapted to the wants of the comr-r.inity, 
that they often include studies not fitting for practical life 
ia undoubtedly true, ani such errors should be corrected. 



1, Koport of Supt. of Public Ina; r. 1870-1871. p. 114, 

2, Parker, H istory of Ed, in lova . p, 33, 

3, Report of Supt . of Public Inslr, 1880-1881, p. 39, 



44. 

A3 the work in acore-'Uting high s chools by the univeroity 
and other higher institutions prcgresaei, the preparatory work 
continued to be araphaaiaed in the course of atu'y in spite of 
oritioisci. In 1889 the ciiniKum of work reiuired of high schools 
of the first class wp.s 

(a) Hii^her Al^f^ebra through luadratioa. 

(b) Plrins Geometry. 

(c) Latin, Daesar, four books; Virj-^il, air books 
and Oicero, four orations; Prose riompoBition cind 
easy reading. 

(d) Ono year Greek for admieaion to claB3ic;\l cctirse 
or Q iuivalent in Geiroan or Plane Trigonoraetr/, Solid 
and Spherical Geometry and Structural Botany. 

(e) Physiology, PVyoical Geography, Bc'iany, 
Elementary Physics, 

(f) Rhetoric and Literature, four terras' work. 

(g) Civics, General History, Tra^in^r, 

In the English' course of four years, as eiuivalent for the 
La' in; Bookkeeping, Conmercial Arithmetic, roclo^y. Political 
Econony, Aatronony and Cheiniatry could bo substituted. It is 
easy to see that schools complying with the demands of this 
course 7/ould not have much time for other siibjQots. Comparing 
this course with the earlier one- chan^.ea are seen; the, 
Philosophies have di3a::peared and rclenoe and History are 
given a pla'Da . 

In 1890 Council Bluffs added a businesc course and 
in 13S5 they offered classical, Latin, scientific, English, 
Geri'ian ^.nd business courses. The -icurBe in Purlin '-ton in 1805 
1, Report of Supt , of Public Instr. 1889. pp. 69-73. 



45. 

was very similar to the earlier course given, except for the 

introduction of the buainess ooursQ. Went Dea Moines in 

1894 an^l 1895 had two business courses, a two yoar oonrso and 

a four year course j a modem language course includihg two 

years of Oena«*n an^l one of ■Pren<'!h; a claasical course reiuiring 

four years of Latin; a scientific course; a classical course 

requiring four years 'Latin and tv»o years •Greek. Four years 

of Kn-^lish was re luired in each coursa. 

In the principal's report for 1833 of the Sioux City 

High School the statement is ciade that additional work has been 

the 
placed in each departiaent, with the view of mnking/work more 

symiaetrical, and of lualifying the pupil for admission to the 
highest collep,e3 and universities of the United States. In 
that year they offered a classical course reiuiring four years 
of Latin and two of Greek; a Latin course containing four years' 
Latin, a German course of three years, a -nomine rcial course and 
an £n 'lish course. It is clear that in spite of the introduc- 
tion of business courses the emphasis was still strong on college 
prep-vration. 

In 1805 a committee reporting to the Iowa State Teachers' 
Association concerning a plan for uniformity for high school 
work said that some of the high schools seemed to be nothing 
more than extenBicns of the grai:.. ar school ann some had taken 
on subjects belonging to the college ourricul\m. As they were 
organized at that tir-e a satisfactory classification was im- 
practical. There was nothing approaching any degree of uniform- 
ity'' in thrsir .courses of study. 



1. Aumer, op. cit., p. 347. 

Z. Iowa School Report, 189^-1895. p. 142. 



In 1899 a preliirdnary report of the Coirinlttee of Tvfelve, 
appointeot by the State Ter^oViers' Assooi&tion to revise and frame 
a suitable course of sturdy contai ned the follcing: "The aim 
of the high Bchocl was not to fit for college. People do not 
and sill not consider it specifically a college preparntory 
aohool. No more ia it •-: schocl to fit for business occupations, 
mech'Anical pursuits or professions. Its specific purpose 
is to fit the pupil for the duties of life." 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction had been 
authorized to prepare a course of study i He cooperated 

with this cor.Kittee of the association. The Latin 
Scisntific course as it was published in the High Bchocl 
Manual in 19C1 is .^iven below? 

First Year, 

Lai in , 

Al.'Tsbra . 

Eftglish. 

Hi3tory(Ancient preferred). 
Second Tear. 

Latin 

Algebra (one half yaar) 

Concrete Oeonetry 

Knrflish 

History (Modem or ;dv, n.rr,) 

Science (From Group A) 



1. La'«9 of Io-v»a 1913 p. 75. 

3. High School Hanvial 1001. p: , ;j7-38. 



47. 
Third Year. 

Latin 

Plcme Qeonietry 

Ensliah 

French, Gen-.an or Greek (Option A) 
Tourtl. Tear. 

Lat in 

English 

PhyaiCB 

PolitiGul Economy (One hnlf year) 

Civics (One half year) 

Trench, Gentian cr Greek (Option B) 
Options. 

Group A r^oionce. 

Second Year of Gcurse; Botany, first choioo; Zoolosy 

second choice. One half year of either '.'ith second 

half given to Physiography or Phy3iolo,c::y or Geology 

or Astronomy will be aocr^pte'*. 

Third Year of Gourae; ihsteai of French, Gerpian or 

Greek one full year of Botany, Zoology or Ghemiatry. 

Group B Mathemfitics. 

Second Year; Instead of Goncrete Geometry Advanced 

ArithFietlc or Bookke^pin'^, w^y b*^ t«>.V6n. 

Fourth Year; Infjteid of French, Gerr^^. or Greek one 

hfilf year of Solid Geometry or Trigonove^-ry n^-y 

be taken. 



48. 
The course contemplates nineteen recitations per 
week; Muaic, Prawihg "^nd Manual Traininr^ may be 
pursued in airiition to these if desired; otherwise 
not more than twenty recitations per week. 
In comparing this course with the early ones changes are 
seen. There is the change fron the three term to the semester 
plan. The most significant change ia the offering of pptions. 
Although four years of Latin are still reiuired there is a choice 
of Greek, French or German and a science or mathePiatical subject 
may be substituted for any one of thera. i4usic, rra.ving and 
Manual Training are allowed for one credit. The course is still 
narrow and distinctly a college preparatory course but there is 
a promise of the introduction of more practical covirses and the 
beginning of an elective syBtem. 
Emphasis on Practical Pubjects, 

After 1900 the majority of courses show a change. In 
the High School Manual for 1900 the course of study is spoken of 
as having b^en modified in all of its phases and enlarged until 
"almost everything taught in any sort of school is ^oday offered 
to the children and youth who enroll and accept the free instruc- 
tion thus granted." The high school is the connecting link be- 

tT?een the elementary schools and the higher institutions and it 

1 
is also a school to fit pupils for the practical things of life. 

In 1901 East Des Moines was pursuing a new course of 

study. Certain subjects ^ere re luired of all fcr graduation. 

1. Report of Supt. of Pub. In^t . 1902. p. 1^. 



49. 

Others were reiuired only in certain courses. Thirty-three 
credits were reiuired for graduation, a sernester being the unit. 
One credit waa given for Music and Drawin£^, if pursued for four 
years. In 1906 Burlinf^ton reiuired twenty-two credits as follows: 
Latin or German 4, Mathenatica ■i. Science or Industrial or 
CoKiiieroial Subjects 4, English 8, History, Oivics, Economics 2. 
The rerariining ten reiuired for graduation were elective. During 
the last two years of the course English was the only reiuired 
subject . 

Before 1900 very fe.^^ schools had Manual Training in 
their courses, West Des Moinea, which seeir. to have been a 
pioneer in this work, had offered it for several years. They 
reported their courses in Manual Training, for high schools 

considerably improved in the year 1899. At that time it waa an 

1 
elect ifee and was usually taken the first two years of the course. 

In 1901 East Waterloo and Iowa City had mechanical drawing. In 
the report for 1903 and 1903 the State Superintendent said thart 
there had been a general awakening on this subject. The National 
Educational Association had done much to stimulate the interest 
and in 1902 the State Association adopted a report from the Edu- 
cational Council sayin;^ that Manual Training should be introduced 
into the public schools of lowa^ The following outline for high 

1. Iowa School Report 1901 pp. 435-4S4. 
3. Iowa School Report 1902-3. p. 3. 



50. 



achool '?ork was .oriven at that time. 



First Y©;\r 



Peccri'i Year 



Third Year 



Meohanioal Drawing 
Wood Joining 



Mechanical Drawing 
Pattern Work 



Mechanical Drawing 

Wood Carving 

Wood Turning 

Manual Training and Home Economiog were introduced in 

many more sohoola of the state soon after this. In 1905 the fol- 

lo'^in,^ schools are reported as h-ivin^ Manual Training in their 

<■■> 

courses of study. 



Schocl 



Year EBtablisVed 



School 



Year Established 



Burlington 


1905 


Dubu lue 


1904 


Carroll 


1901 


Ida Grove 


1903 


Cedar Rapids 


igO'' 


Iowa City 


1895 


Clinton 


1903 


Le Mars 


1905 


Davenport 




Marsh^lltown 


1903 


Decorah 


1901 


Mason City , 


1890 


Dennison 


1905 


Montezuma 


1903 


Des Moinea 




MlsBouri Valley 


1904 


North High 


1903 


Oelwein 


1904 


West High 


1888 


Onavra 


1905 



Home Economics was in the course at Davenport in 1888, In 1905 
Clinton, Burlington and East Dea Moinea offered Home Econcnics, 
The elementary processes taught were much the same in all. From 
this time on tbo number of schools offering these subjects 



1. Ibid p. 17. 

3. Iowa School Report 1904-5. Part 1, p, 48, 



.51. 

continued to increase, f\nri following the laws conoemin.;' vocational 
education, together with Agriculture they beoacie fi^^3lly fixed in 
the ourriGuliim of both the large and araall schoola 

At thi.3 time the hi.^h school situation is spoken of as 
encouraging vvith improveiuont manifest in several directions. 
"Courses of study are being revised, a college prepare "^ cry course 
and a course that mests the needs of the coirmiunity are given place 
side by side and are both good?''" The smaller schools had a ten- 
dency to maintain courses of study inappropriate to the comr^tinity 
supporting them. The Educational Council of the State As itciation 
in 1913 said, "The present status of secondary education in Iowa 
is the result of an awakened public sentiwent which has made pos- 
sible the breaking down of traditions regarding the organii'.a' ion 
and function of the high school and acadeny the time is now 

opportune in this period cf adjustment for the exercise of the ut- 

2 
most care and the soundest of judgment in the making of changes? 

They thought newer subjects should be introduced into the smaller 

schools and the other subjects readjusted so that they would more 

nearly cieet the needs of the local oomii.unity. The pf>.8sing of the 

law giving state aid to cohsolidated schools brouj-'ht Agriculture, 

Domestic Science and Manual Training into the course. The free 

tuition law gave the state departrient power to enforce uniformity. 

The follc^'ing course, api)roved by the state is found in the 

majority of the small as well as in the larger high schools today. 

1. Iowa School Report 1903. p. 1. 

3. Report <ff Better Iowa Schools Corimittee 1912. p. 20. ff. 



50 

Suggoative One Tear Course for Approved High Sohools. 



First Semester 

English 

Algebra 

General Kiatory 

or 
Mediaeval and Modem History 

General Science 

or 
Commercial Geography 



Second geraeatar 

English 

Algebra 

General History 

or 
Mediaeval and Modem History 

General Science 

or 
Agriculture 



Two Year Course. 
Ninth Gr-irte 



FArat Semester 
English 
Algebra 

General Science 
Bookkeeping 

English 

Plane Geometry 

Modem History 

or 
General History 

Advanced Physiolo^f^y 



Tenth Grade 



Second Seiueater 

English 

Algebra 

General Science 

ComiTiercial Geography 

English 

Plane Geometry 

Modem History 

or 
General History 

Agriculture 



In these courses Manual Training and Domestic Science should be 
given fifty minutes n week in the seventh and eighth grades?. 
Kinth grade pupils mi^^t be allowed to take these subjects with 
the seventh and eighth grades. 



1. Synopsis of Course of Study, State Dept . of Pub. Inst, 1920. 



53. 



Suggestive Three Year Oourae for Approved Hij^h Pchools, 

IUn':h Grade. 
First Senester 



English 

Algebra 

Gencr-Al Science 

Man\i^il Training and 
Domestic Roienco 

or 
Ancient and "ediaeval History 



Tonth i^Trade 



Enrrlish 

Plane Ge one try 
Modem History 
Conir'ieroial Geography 



Eleventh Grade 



English 

Advanced Arithmetic 

Ajrcisrican HiGtory 

Social Pi'oblenis and Economics 

Four Tear Goiirse 

Nintv, Grade 

English 

Algebra 

General Science 

Domestic Pcience and 
Manual Tr-^^ining 

Tenth Grade 

English 

Plane Geometry 

Comniercial Geof.raphy 

Ancient and Mediaeval History 



Second geiuester 

English 

Algebra 

General Science 

Manual Training and 
Donestic Science 

or 
Ancient and Mediaeval History 



English 

Plane Gaoiietry 
Modem History 
Agriculture 

English 

Advanced Physiology 
American Government 
Comnercial Law 



English 

Algebra 

General Science 

Donestlc Science and 
Manual Training 

English 

Plane Geonetry 

Agriculture 

Ancient and Mediaeval 

History 



54. 



First ^er.eeter 

English 

Arithmetic 

Modem History 

Commercial Law 
or 

Foreign Language 

English 

Physios 

American Kistor'; 

Econor.ics anl Pvocial 
Problens 
or 
Foraic^n Langiiage 



T"?elfth Grade 



f iecond gef.ester 

Eiiglish 

Advanced Physiolo^^y 

Modem History 

Bookkeeping or Econoir.ics 

or 
Foreign Language 

English 

Physios 

Araerican Govemnent 

f!ociology or Industrial 
History 
or 
Foreign Langxiage 



In all of these courses the eciiihasis is put upon practical subjects 

The course in the normal training high schools was outlined 

by the Superintendent of Public Ins- ruction. The original course 

1 
was: 



Pedagogy 2 semesters 11th and 13th grades 
Readin'T 1 « « » » « 

Arithmetic 1 * n « » n 

Grain; a r 1 " » » •• » 

U.r. History 1" » « « « 

Geo-'riphy or Physiology 1 sei .ester 



Civics 1 semester 

Econonics 1 '• 

Physics 2 " 

Algebra Z " 

Agriculture 1 * 

Home Econorrdcs or 
Manual Training - 
1 semester 



1. State Board of Education, Koniial Training Dept . Circular NC.1.19Q.4. 



55. 

From time to time slir^ht changes have been marie. Reading was 

droppe-l after a f«-v years; the professional course was enlarged. 

Rural Ediication, Pfeycholo,";7, Pedagogy and Methods were included 

in the two years' work with a re luired amount of observation and 

practice tefKchin<r, The course as presented for 1930 reiuired 

sixteen units and is as follows: 

Normal Training Course for 1931. 

Education 2 units Mathematics 2-} units 

English 3-A " Science inoludinr Agricul- 

ture 2 \mits 

American History Home Econoiriics 

and and 

American Gov't. 1 unit Maniial Training 1 unit 

Eccnomics and Elect ives 2-| " 

Sociil Problems | * 

Courses of study of the recent period show a reroarkable 
expansion. The approved high schools offer the course as sug- 
gested by the Board and in addition many other electives. The 

1 
following illustrations show the great change that has been wade. 

In 1896 the Boone high school offered two courses, Latin and 
Scientific. There were no electives at nny point in either course 
of four years xrntil the spring tenn of the fourth year, >.«;hen 
classes in TrigonoBetry, Pv'litical Eoonocy and Shakespeare might 
be ai proved. In 1914 Boone had five courses varying in reiuire- 
ments from eleven to twenty-five credits, depending on the course 
pursued. In 1913 Mason City set forth six distinct aims of their 
course of study. To prepare for citizenship, for home life, for 

1. Aumer op. ci^ . p. 370. ff . 



the shop, for the office, for teaohinr -in * for prefeaaional 
life. 

The oouraoa of sttrly now piirane-* In the larr<^r high 
achocls show the Pioat recent fUsveioiauen^ ox the 'jj.tv'Otj.ve syateir,, 
MarshalltowTi in 1930 b«ai':'«3 offering the roiuired courao for ap- 
prove'l aohcola ^rA norrnl trr\inir.r hf.d an ©xtensiv© ooroiierolal 
courss, physioal trnininG 'cr -iri:>, juilitary drill fo? boys -'nd, 
a nun.ber of other eleotivoo inoluiing the follov^ing noTY in 
Muaic: Mixed Chonie, Oirla* Chorus, Boys* T^iorua, Girls » alee 
Club, Boya' Gloe Club, OrohoatrR, Bani-t, Hiinaony and Uuaicai 
History. The only aubjoota reiuired for gradurition T7©re Fn^'^liBh, 
Physios, Al^ebr\, Oeoran+ry and History. 

Pubu :'>G in th«ir ncura© for the onrae ytar offered the 
follov^ing; groups of relate'i i3ubjeot« froa which t.hs oour««r! >ver© 
to be aaleotedj En-^lifth, KathoruatiCB, Pcoial Boienoe, Kntural 
Soienco, Business, Language, Shop ?ork. Home EoonoFiy, He rmc'l 
Training, Flno Arta and a Mieoollnneouo Group innludin,^ Glee 
Club, Orchestra Jind Phyaioal Tr-Uning-^ 

The oourse offered in the Den Moinoa high BOhoclB in 
19-C -^nd 21 ia n:iven ae followa: 



1. Course of Study, Warshalltovm Hipih Fichool, 19;i0, 
S, Course of Study, rnabu p e High School, 1930. 



07. 

1 
The Studies Ofrered in Lea Moinesi High Schools 19*iO~1931. 

First Year 



GROTTP 


lat Se:iOBter 


2nd Senesuer 


ENGLIBK 


English 


English 


SOCIAL SCIENCE 


Commtanity Civics 
Ancient History 


Community Civics 
Mediaeval Historj'' 


LANGUAGE 


Latin 
Frenoh 


Lat in 

French 


MATHEMATICS 


Algebra 


Algebra 


NATURAL SCIENCE 


General Science 


General Science 


com:'Ehcial 


Bookkeeping 


Bookkeeping 


HOME ECONOMICS 


Hone Econor-.ica 


Hone Econonios 


Eaat 
INDUSTRIAL 


Cabinet Making 
Meoh'l Drawing 


Wood Turning 
Pattern Making 
Moulding 
Mech'l Drawing 


West 
and 
North 


Cabinet Making 
Drawing and 
Furniture Design 


Cabinet Making 
Drawing and 
Furniture Design 


MUSIC 


Chorus Singing 
Glee Club 
Band 

Orchestra 
El. Theory 
Applied Music 


Chorus ringing 
Glee Cikub 
Band 

Orchestra 
El. Theory 
Applied Music 


AHT 


Art 


Art 


PHYSICAL EDUCATION 


Phya . Fduc . 

Seciond Year 


Phys . Eduo , 


ENGLISH 


English 


English 


SOCIAL SCIENCE 


Mod. History 


Mod. Ristorr 



1. Course of Study for Des Moinea High Schools, 



GBOUP 


58. 

1st Senoster 


Snd Semester 


LANGTJAGE 


Latin 

French 


Latin 
French 


MATHEMATICS 


PI. Geometry 


PI. Geoiiietry 


NATURAL SCiroCE 


Botany 
Zoology 


Agriculture 
Phyoiology 


COM'ERCIAL 


Bookkeeping 
Short hrind 
Typewriting 


Bookkeeping 

Short.h.and 

Typewriting 


HOii'E ECONOMICS 


Home Econoriics 


Hone Econciaics 


East 


Forging 
MechU Drawing 


Auto Mechanics 
Mech'l Drawing 


IKDUrTT^I/L 

lest 
and 
North 


Wood Turning 
Drawing and 
.Furniture Design 


Wood Turning 
Drawing and 
Framiture Design 


MUSIC 


Chorus Singing 
Glee Club 
Band 

Orchestra 
HarKony 
Applied Music 


Chorus Singing 
Gleo Club 
Band 

Orchestra 
Harmony 
Applied Music 


APT 


Art 


Art 


PHY^IC/X EDUCATION 


Phys. Educ. 

Third Year. 


Phys . Educ , 


ENGLISH 


English 


English 


SOCIAL SCIENCE 


American History 


Ajiierican History 


LANGUAGE 


Lat in 

French 

Spanish 


Latin 

French 

Spnnish 


MATHEMATICS 


Algebra 


Solid Geometry 


NATUT^AL SCIINCE 


Physics 
Home Hygiene 


Physic a 


COMMfBCIAL 


Bookkeeping 
Shorthand 
Typewriting 
Coru'l Geography 


Bookkeeping 
Shorthand 
Typewriting 
CoEi'l Arill-iiiietio 



59. 



GROUP 



lat Seir.oster 



2nd Sei.o^ter 



HOME ECONOMICS 


Home EccnciTiicB 


Home Economics 


East 

INDUSTRIAL 


Cabinet Making 

Wood Turning 

Pattern Making 

Moulding 

Fcr^'^ing 

Auto Mechanic 

Mech'l Drawing 


Continuation of 
First Seiuest.er 


West 

and 
North 


Cabinet Making 
Wood Turning 
Meoh'l Drawing 




MUSIC 


Chorus Sinking 

Glee Club 

Band 

Onhest ra 

Hannony 

Hist . and Appreo . 

Applied Music 


Cont inue 
First 
Ser:e*ter 
Election 


HORMAL TRAIN Il'IG 


Rural Education 


Elera. PsycholojTy 


ART 


Art 

Fourth Year 


Art 


ENGL 1 31 


English 


English 


SOCIAL SCIFNCE 


Social Problems 


Social Probl<r-i:B 


LANGUAGE 


Latin 

Spanish 

French 


Latin 

Spanish 

French 


MATHE,HATinS 


Algebra 


Trigonoiaetry 


NATURAL SCIENCE 


Chemistry 


Chemistry 


COMI/.ERCI/IL 


Bus. Org. 

Coj.'l Law 
Bus. Eng. 
Intensive Steno. 
Intensive Bkpg, 


AcGcimting 
Faleamanship 
Office Practice 
Bus . En;i,lish 
Intensive Htenc. 
Intensive Bkpg. 



60. 

GROUP l at. Seraestftr 2nfl Benea-'-er 

MUSIC Chojrus f^inj^ing 

Glee Club 
Band 

Orchestra 
Ilarroony 
Counterpoint 
Hist, nnd 4r)T;roo. 
Applied Music 

NORMAL TRAINING Review Arithrietio Revie v Grar.v;ar 

Bchool Mgt. Methods 

ART Art Art 

The contrast between these later oouraea of study and 
thoae followed during the early years in the history of the 
high school and in the period before 1900 is very striking. 
The old narrow course is ^one . College preparatory courses 
are offered but the emphasis is upon preparation for living. 
In a great measure the public high school has becorae *the 
people's college*. 
(^ualif ioatlon3 o^ '^^^achorB. 



There are no lawn setting re luirei'ients for high school 
teachers in Iowa. In the laws regarding certifi'^atlon of 
teac'ers there is nothin.'i that differentiates the high school 
teacler's certificate from that of any other teacher. "There 
is no such thing as a High School Diplopia or Certificate: At 
first no difference was made in the preparation for grade teac^&r8 
and hip-h school teachers. In 1B67 in an educational journal, 
the teacrers are spoken of as "earnest and diligent" but nothing 
is said of preparations As time went on each school made its 

own reiuirenents and they were not uniform; some were very- 
high. Sioux City in 1900 it is stated in the rules -m-^ 



1. Report of f^upt., Iowa Docuiients, 1904. p. 137. 

2. IO'=?a Instructor and School Joumnl, 1867, vol. B. p. l-^l. 



61. 

regulations that all high Bohool teachers nua- be graduates 
cf a college or a university and in addition niixst "h&re had 
suooear.ful exi erienoe in a certain department or must, give 
evidence of apeoial fitness. 

Very few references are made to the quality and preparation 
of teachers in the Superintendents' Reports. In 1903 the 
high achocls are said, as a general rule, to hn T/ell equipped 
and N»oll supplied with teachers educated for their sieeclal 
work" but in 1903 there was said to be a strong demand for 
better lualified teachers and a need of r.ore men teachers. 
As tlie schools becaice accredited there seer.ed to be a Jjeneral 
agreer:ent that four years' work above the high school shotild 
be reiuired for high school teac} era -^nrl nany schools had 
such rules. 

In the report for 1905 a table is given showing the 
preparation of teac'^ers in high school faculties. Of the 
one thousand three hundred and seventy-three teachers, 
employed in the four year high schools, one thousand and 
sixty-seven had had some experience and nine hundred and three 
held degrees from a college or university. Of the two 
hundred and sixty, employed in the three year high schools, 
two hundred were experienced and one hundred and tw nty-f ive 

1. Rules and Regulations of Board of Education, Sioux City, 1900. 

2. Report of Sup-^ . in Ic\7a Documents, 1903. p. 24-35. 

3. Iowa School Report, 1903. p. 34. 



6S • 
held degreeF,, Of the ninety-six, employen in two year M,3h 
schools, 8ev«n+.y-four had experience and twenty-nine held 
des;;r;ie8'. These fi>-ur63 were taken from the report of th-^ee 

hundred and one, foixr year hif;h schools, one hixndred and 
seventy, three year high schools and eighty-nine, tvfo year 
high schoclg. 

In 1911 the following statement is foiind in the superin- 
tendent's report, "While the number of profession^.lly trained 
teac'era ia sui^ll in comparison to the totnl nuraber of teachers 
eiaployed, it is gratifying to report that the niiiaber is in- 
creasing fron year to y<iar, due in no small liart to the spbeoial 
attention ^iv^n to teaoler trainin;i in a large number oif Iowa 
Colleges. 'iJithin the two years ending J\mo SOth, 1910, nine 
hundred and sixty-nine graduates of Iowa Collei^es were licensed 
to teach in the state? ** 

A committee reporting to the State Association on the 
present status of secondary education, in 1914, said there 
were two thousand fivs hundred teachers teaching in Iowa 
high schools, miny of whom ??ero inexperienced and untrained. 
The committee urged the need of placing attention upon the 
nooessity of securing teachers wlio have a type of tr;tining 
which peculiarly fits then; for the work in high school. 

Aa the ■■^ork in inspection advanced the situation becoxie 
better. With the establishnent of the approved schools 
the problem ^as been pretty definitely worked out . The 
follo.ving .iualifications have been set down by the state 



1. Iowa School Report, 19o.v, i>, lo:,-. 

S. Report of Supt . in Iowa Do^^uments, 1911, p. IB, 

'6. Iowa School Report, 1914, p, ZZ* 



G5. 

1 

departnicnt for teachers in approved hich schools. 

All high school teachers should be graduates of a four 
year college or a xjnivorsi'y. 

Half of the teaching force must be graduf^+.es of such 
instituoions. 

Two yesrs* college work is required of all teachers 
in approved high schools. 

If a teacher holas a firs*; or second grade state certi- 
ficate that may be accepted in lieu of two years* college 
preparation. 

The laws reiuiring teaching of industrial branches 
in Hona-al Training Kigh Schools and consolidated schools, 
that received state aid, created a demand for loalified 
teac" era of Agriculture, Manual Training and Home Economics. 
For a i.BJiOlr-eT of Home Econciii'os, not less than two years of 
college preparation is reiuired. For Manual Training and 
Agriculture a teacher who has had six seiueater hours of 
cclleg'-, credit may be employed. For Music, Drawing, Public 
Epeaking aaoi Conujiercial Subjects the teacher must have two 
two years of college or normal school training in that special 
lino. 

Many of the larger schools have met these ro ^uiret.ents 
and have made even more stringent ones. The high schools 
accredited by the North r!e.ntr?«l Association have as a mininum 
re-iuireEi6nt for their teacherr- in acndenic sxibjectB one 



1. S^ate Board of Education, Fiulen for Approved High Schools, 



64. 



hundred and twenty eernestor hours in advance of a standard 
four year high school course, including at least eleven 
Berr.ester hours in education sjid special sturly of the subject 
matter and pedagogy ©i" the subject taU(T;ht . 

Oonoeming the standards for teachers in the Junior 
High Schoola of the state, no definite decision has been reached. 
The following suggestions have been made: 

All teac'era shall be graduates of a four year high 
school course or the e luivalent , 

In addition they should be graduates of standard nornial 
schools with at least one year of practical teaching er.perience 
or have had two years of college work, with preparation in 
branches to be taught and practice teaching experience. 

Better still all should be college graduates with 
practice teaching experience and one year of successful class- 
roona experience in fiui grades. 



1. North Central Association, Proceedings, 1931, p.S.;. 

2. Lewis, E. E. Standards for Me •-^- uring Junior Hi^.h Fchools , 
Iowa Extension Bulletin, f.'25. " """" 



65. 

Summarv. 

The early courBes of stu^y were strongly influenced 
by the aoadQir.y and oollege. Althour^h sone of the higher 
subjects wero dropped coraparatively early, the influonoe of 
the college remained. This showed itself in a strong 
emphasifl on foreign langna/^es, mathematiCB and college 
prap^rator/ subjects . In spite of criticlBPi and efforts 
of reform the ooursQ continued rigid and narrow for a great 
number of years. After 1900 the curriculum gradually 
broadened to include instruction in practical and vocational 
subjects. With the centralizing of authority in the state 
dep'^rtment the courses have become uniform. Becent coiirfes 
of study offer a great variety of subjects and put eraphasis 
upon those things that will best fit pupils for life. 
Qualifications for teachers were not uniform at first. 
Sohoola set their ovm r© iuirerients . In recent years the 
state board has niade regulations goveniing teacher preparation 



66. 
OHAPTEH V. 
OONHLUSIONS. 

The people of Io-??a have al^vayfi been interes+.ed in 
education. The high ^school ia a :levGlopr.ent from the 
elemsntriry school and the i'tea of its iraportanoe, aa part 
of the achocl syatera haa g^own aten'^tily. Thore are vory 
few laws in the state bearin.'r on tho hijjh sohool. Its 
growth has b en directed and aided by the teao) era and 
educators; The Btate Teachers* Asaooiation has besn cloBely 
connected with every iiaprovun^^nt , Althouf^h many other factors 
hav'j entered in, the ^.esire to gi-'-e to the children of the 
Btate opport^mltir for a. broad and practical education hae 
been the motive underlying th- development of the public 
high school throiiprhout its hiator^r. The higher institutions 
in their efforts to heir in the classification of hir.h schools 
dominated the course of atudy 30 that for a long period the 
higli schools were practically preparatory achoolB, and other 
Important ends were neglected. There has been a development 
away from this narrow idea i;- recent years and tho high schools 
of -cd-'y offer opport\mity for educ:'»^ ion and tretining in a 
number of different field-;. Iowa hao not b'.^en ao progreosive 
as many states in the re Miirements of higb school teachers. 



67. 

BIBLIO-RSPHY. 
Primary Sources. 
High Rchool Couraee. of r^t.udy . 

Burlington, 1895 

Cedar Rapids, 1916 

Counoil Blur.rs, 1894 

Davenport, 1900 

Pea MoineB, 1930 

Dubuque, 1920 

Marah^^lltown, IS.'SO 

Sioux ^ity, 1893 

Io\7?. Inatructor and Bohool Journal^ Vol. S, 1867, 

Iowa Norcial Monthly, Hletori^il gpuvenir, 1850-1389, Dubujuo, 1889. 

lo.va Korcial Monthly, Vols . 13 ?\nd 15 , 

Iov?i ^'nhocl Joum-.l, Vol. 9, No. 13; Vol. 11, Ko. 11. 

lo-sa St^^te Teachere* AaBCoi-'ttion^ Proceeo'j.r./^n, lS9n , Pea Moines. 

Junior Hi.'^h Pchcol Ol-jarin"; Hourte, Vcl. 1, No. Z, 

I.aA-3 of lo" -a, 1848-192-, 

North '"entral As3oci'\ ^io'n o;^_^oll';^.Q^ -^^^^ ^'^ocn'i-.nr ?f^hccl3, 
Prooeedinfra, 1896-1921, Ghloa'-o, 

Reports of Superintenflent of Public Inst ru.-^t ion. 

-** Annual 16^4, 1858, 18^^5, l.'5'?C-15W. 

Biennial, 1910-1920, State Printer, Des Moines. 

Reports of Superintendent of Public Instruction , 

In Iowa Dooiiiiients, 1394-ira9, Dea Molnaa. 

Reports of Iowa St^t*^ Po^.rd of Mu'^q'^ion, 

Biennial, 1P08-191B, D'js Moines , 

RtTles, Regulations ani Ccnr.se of S-iidy, 

B^jrlin^ton, I'^S. 

Kt. Pleasant, 1G63. 



68* 

Stats Board of Eduaation, Puhlioations, Dcs Mcinea. 

Board of ^eocndr^rf Tohool Helatlona, 

' ■" ' ■ • ' fi^A . -i -t^!! ' 1 — • ' •■'■ ■' • w — rrnT 

Circular of Nonaal Trriinlnr. Departnent, Ko. 1 , 1914,1310,1920. 
gt.i.ni-,irH3 m'i 7^0,'xul?. »■ tens of Approved I'-Xsr'r. "C^tocla t 1930 » 
Hipjh School Mami.".l i 1901 * 
Iowa Eduoallonrxl Pirentcr:^^ 1918 and 191v^. 

Rijport of CoiUiitto-.'. of Eniuor.*;ion-\l Council on Junior 

t^.y .^cScol /'r^l-. 

Report of Setter Io7;a Hrihoola nou'.i*:1,{!0^ 101«, 

gynopaiu of Ccytrne of r^-uo^y fcr nraioi and Apprcyed 
Rir.h Schools , 1^3^ 

Vcioe of lowft, April, 185'*'', 



Seccnaar)'' gourooa, 

Aurner, C. H. Iliotory of E.ii;cat.5.on in Icv.'a> Icv.n. ^it.y , 1015. 

T ht;) Junior HJ.^.h gchocl j B^lt.iracre, 1919. 

The Mftklnr. of oi^r Middle FSa^orlr, , JI©.v York, 1905. 



Bennett, G. V. 
Brcwr, E. £. 
Brc~n, J. F. 
Downor, J. 
Edson, E. K, 

Kocs, L. V. 
Miller, J, 
Parker, L. ?. 



Thft Ai>^-lnan Hl/^h Fohctl, Kcv York, 1909. 

History cf mvenport nnd f^oott goimty . 

"Kistorioal Sketch of Demnarh", Io wa nohool Journal 

i •-.. Vy , / 1,, »...»..»,, it 4,1 » ^ ) » 

Th^ J^tnior M.^h ?ohcol, Kbw Yor>:, 19.-;C, 

"The rtnt^ of Ic?'a7 H -^ -'";7or*s Mf^.^^r. nine ^ J uly, 1B89« 

Hj.rVp->- Fdv-fi-^^ion In Ic-'ft , Circular of Info rpmt ion. 

No. C, Bureau of 
Educ : ; t i on , Waj:h in ,-^t on, 
1893. 



:\ 




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